10. Even if you defeated all of the Babylonian army that is attacking you and there were only a few injured men left in their tents, they would come from their tents and burn down Jerusalem!”
11. So the Babylonian army left Jerusalem to fight the army of the king of Egypt.
12. Now Jeremiah tried to travel from Jerusalem to the land of Benjamin to get his share of the property that belonged to his family.
13. When Jeremiah got to the Benjamin Gate of Jerusalem, the captain in charge of the guards arrested him. The captain’s name was Irijah son of Shelemiah son of Hananiah. Irijah said, “You are leaving us to join the Babylonians!”
14. But Jeremiah said to Irijah, “That’s not true! I am not leaving to join the Babylonians.” Irijah refused to listen to Jeremiah, so he arrested Jeremiah and took him to the officers of Jerusalem.
15. Those rulers were very angry with Jeremiah and beat him. Then they put him in jail in the house of Jonathan the royal secretary, which had been made into a prison.
16. So those people put Jeremiah into a cell in a dungeon, and Jeremiah was there for a long time.
17. Then King Zedekiah sent for Jeremiah and had him brought to the palace. Zedekiah asked him in private, “Is there any message from the Lord?”Jeremiah answered, “Yes, there is. Zedekiah, you will be handed over to the king of Babylon.”